Terrorist cells are infiltrating Europe, poised for directives from extremist Islamist leaders amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Nine individuals were apprehended in Melilla, and another arrest took place in the Moroccan city of Nador during a collaborative operation between Spanish and Moroccan police on both sides of the border fence on Tuesday, according to the Moroccan Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGSN), as reported by the Spanish news portal El Debate.

Moroccan police state that those detained adhere to an extremist ideology and were actively involved in recruiting others for a potential terrorist attack.

Among those taken into custody by Spanish authorities is an individual who had previously been arrested in Spain for terrorist offenses and was identified as a member of terrorist organizations operating in the Sahel region of Africa.

„This joint security operation is testament to the ongoing and robust security coordination between Moroccan security services and their Spanish counterparts, which underscores the significance of the security partnership between the two countries,”

– reads a statement issued by Moroccan authorities. Both Spain and Morocco have reported a heightened activity of terrorist networks following the attack of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas against Israel, in October. Consequently, terror alert levels have been raised in an increasing number of European countries.

In the Netherlands, for instance, authorities have had to raise the terror threat level for the first time since 2019, increasing it to level 4, or „substantial.” on its 5-step scale. Citing incidents of burning the Quran and other threats, Sweden has also raised its terror threat level. In the UK and France, the terror threat level is being kept under “very close” review, while in Germany more soldiers and police are specifically deployed to protect Christmas fairs.